Inner Thigh Lift

For people who have lost a lot of weight or those who have sagging skin on their thighs because of aging, the plastic surgeons at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, can do an inner thigh lift. A thigh lift offers a more toned and taut appearance. Liposuction can be done at the same time if excess fat needs to be removed from the area as well.

What to expect during thigh lift surgery

The procedure is an outpatient procedure, which takes up to 2-3 hours. You will be given general anesthesia or “twilight” sedation. Your cosmetic surgeon will make an incision at the junction of the inner thigh and the pubic area so that excess skin and fat can be removed and the remaining skin tightened. You will have two drainage tubes in place and these will be removed one to two weeks after surgery. These are needed to remove excess fluid that your body produces in response to surgery.

Recovery from thigh lift surgery

The plastic surgeon will prescribe pain medication for a few days after the procedure is done. You can expect to see minor swelling and bruising in the weeks after the procedure, which will disappear over a few weeks. You should consult with your surgeon about how long you will need to take off work; it is likely to be at least a week but will depend on the nature of your work. The cosmetic surgeon will advise you to refrain from strenuous activity, including running and other types of exercise, for 4-6 weeks.

You will have scars though the initial redness of the scars will begin to fade after 2-3 months, leaving much less visible white lines. Scars are generally well hidden by clothing. Therapies, such as laser, may minimize the visibility of scars.